In an age where everything seems to have been explored and there is nothing new to be found, we celebrate a different way of looking at the world. If you're searching for miniature cities, glass flowers, books bound in human skin, gigantic flaming holes in the ground, bone churches, balancing pagodas, or homes built entirely out of paper, the Atlas Obscura is where you'll find them.

Atlas Obscura is a collaborative project. We depend on our far-flung community of explorers (like you!) to help us discover amazing, hidden spots, and share them with the world. If you know of a curious place that's not already in the Atlas, let us know.

There is plenty out there to discover, so let's start looking!

Here are a few topics that caught my eye recently as being relevant to genealogists and family historians:

I could go on and on … these are the topics that might interest you from a historical/genealogical perspective, so many other interesting topics are also covered! In fact, I receive the newsletter and then squirrel it away for a rainy day (which today, as I write this, happens to be) and then just enjoy exploring the wacky variety of topics.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

Search 850,000 pages of 1,700 historical directories (business, address, telephone, etc., mostly from Central and Eastern Europe), 114,000 pages of 256 yizkor books (memorials to Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust), 32,000 pages of military lists (officers, casualties, etc., mostly from the Russian Empire and Poland), 43,000 pages of community and personal histories, and 24,000 pages of Polish secondary school annual reports and other school sources. New genealogy sources are added weekly.

I keep tabs on this website as my paternal ancestors were Galician – Russian speakers who lived in SE Poland. I once again searched on Malecka and there are so many entries now found. Some as modern as a 1949 Leipzig Address and Business Directory and as old as an 1807/1808 Warsaw Homeowners Directory.

I next searched on Pietrusza (the family came from Pietrusza Wola) and many entries were listed, including those in Russian, Петруша. Also checked into Deszno (another ancestral home place) aka Дешно.

And, there is news from the mastermind behind the website …

There is a major new development at Genealogy Indexer. From the list of directories below, the additions for this week, can you guess what it is? (Scroll down quickly to avoid spoilers!) Something is different about most of these directories from all other 2,500+ sources on the site. 1939 Frankfurt, 1864 Riga, 1897 Danzig, 1936 Stolp, 1856 Silesia... Before this week, it would have been impossible to add these directories, but now I can and will add thousands more like them. What makes them different?

The answer is the font. These directories use Fraktur, Gothic, or blackletter typefaces, which are especially challenging for OCR. I was never before able to accurately OCR these typefaces, so many German-language sources were out of reach. I am delighted to report that obstacle has been overcome.

Thanks to the generosity of OCR software company ABBYY, I am now able to OCR Fraktur/Gothic/blackletter sources using their advanced Recognition Server software with FineReader XIX module.

Thousands of directories and other genealogical sources that I could not make searchable before are now on my to-do list and many are likely being processed as you read this. In addition to enabling OCR of these challenging fonts, Recognition Server has automation capabilities that allow me to dramatically increase the rate at which I add new searchable sources…

This is important to my own research since where my ancestors lived was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and that means that many publications relevant to that research are in German. I used to have a massive German dictionary and to be honest, I found it such a challenge to try and just "read" the printed German text that I pretty much gave up. Who knows, I may resume research into my Galician sometimes in the near future!

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

Pre-Registration Closes Tomorrow
27 April for the NGS Conference and ALL Ticketed Events

ARLINGTON, VA, 26 APRIL 2017—Tomorrow is the last day to
pre-register for the NGS Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina,
10-13 May 2017. Pre-conference registration ends 27April 2017. On-site
registration and check-in will be available beginning at 12:00 noon, 9 May
2017, in the Raleigh Convention Center.

Your last chance to register for meals and social events also closes on27 April 2017. Ticket
purchases will NOT be available on-site at the conference for meals or social
events. All tours and workshops are already sold out, plus several
luncheons. For conference information and to register, go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/register/.

The conference program, Family History Lives Here, features more
than 175 lectures from basic to advanced genealogical research, including eighteen
presentations on DNA science and methodology. The BCG Skillbuilding lectures
are always one of the most welcome and well-attended tracks. Finding records
and effectively using them is the focus of fifty-seven lectures. Among the
types of records discussed are a wide range of religious records, military and
associated records, North Carolina and regional U.S. records, and African
American and Native American records.

The Exhibit Hall bustles with excitement for four days as more
than 80 genealogical vendors and societies display their latest goods and
services. NGS exhibitors are counting down the days to meet genealogists in
Raleigh and share their latest products and news of improvements they have
worked on in the past year. They enjoy the opportunity to communicate
one-on-one with genealogists, inspiring and educating them on how to achieve
better and better research results.

Luncheons and the NGS Banquet

Participating organizations sponsor several meal events during the
conference. Seats are still available for the NCGS Society Host Event “Pig
Pickin”, the NGS Banquet with guest speaker Stuart Watson, an award-winning
investigative reporter, who used his investigative skills to find his birth
mother, and some of the luncheons. Make your reservations now at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/register/.

Add Items to an Existing Registration

To add to your current registration, log on at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on
My Account, select My Events, and then click to Add Sessions.

NGS
does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing
in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not
necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication
of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for
non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a
note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written
permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles
for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission
to [email protected]. All republished
articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement
found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

24 April 2017

Mobile Conference App Now Available for the NGS 2017 Family History Conference

#NGS2017GEN

ARLINGTON, VA, 24 APRIL 2017—The Mobile Conference App for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2017 Family History Conference is now available. This conference will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 10‒13 May 2017. To download the free NGS Conference App, go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/mobile-app/.

The NGS Conference App is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, and web-enabled devices. Search your app store for NGS Family. If you already have the 2015 or 2016 NGS mobile app, go to settings within the app and tap “Exit to Conference.” Choose NGS 2017, then tap download.

Some of the convenient features on the app allows users to

·stay organized with the Dashboard’s up-to-the-minute information;

·find all conference information in one place with “About NGS 2017 Family History Conference”;

·receive important real-time communications from NGS with Alerts;

·follow and join in on the conference chatter with the built-in Twitter feed. The Twitter hashtag is #NGS2017GEN;

·sync your schedule across multiple devices;

·locate sessions and exhibitors on the convention center maps;

·connect, message, and share schedules with your colleagues through the Friends feature;

·link to syllabus material for each lecture, which will be available beginning in early May; and

·take and save notes.

We encourage you to begin using the app now so you can improve your conference experience in Raleigh.

Editor’s Note: It’s really convenient to download and use the app when attending the NGS conference. I have been waiting for this announcement so that I can get started building a Friends list and also block out the talks and events that I am already scheduled for. I also find the maps invaluable as I move from place to place. Feel free to "Friend" me. It will be nice to catch up with Upfront with NGS readers whether long-time ones or those new to the blog.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

20 April 2017

Registration
for the NGS Conference and All Ticketed
Events Closes 27 April 2017

#NGS2017GEN

ARLINGTON,
VA, 20 APRIL 2017: Only ten days are left to pre-register for the NGS Family
History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, 10-13 May 2017. Pre-conference
registration ends27April 2017. On-site registration and
check-in will be available beginning at 12:00 noon, 9 May 2017, in the Raleigh
Convention Center.

Registration
for all meals, social events, and workshops also closes on 27 April 2017.
Ticket purchases will notbe available on-site at the conference for meals,
social events, or workshops. For conference information and to register, go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/register/.

The
conference program, Family History Lives Here, features more than 175 lectures
from basic to advanced genealogical research, including eighteen presentations
on DNA science and methodology. Finding records and effectively using them is
the focus of fifty-seven lectures. Among the types of records discussed are a
wide range of religious records, military and associated records, North
Carolina and regional U.S. records, and African American and Native American
records.

Luncheons and the NGS
Banquet

Participating
organizations sponsor several meal events during the conference. Seats are
still available for some of the luncheons, the NCGS Society Host Event “Pig
Pickin’”, and the NGS Banquet with guest speaker Stuart Watson, an
award-winning investigative reporter, who used his investigative skills to find
his birth mother. Make your reservations now at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/register/.

Add Items to an Existing
Registration

To
add to your current registration, log on at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on My Account,
select My Events, and then click to Add Sessions.

You
do not want to miss this year’s exciting conference program!

Founded
in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to
genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation
of genealogical records. The Arlington,
Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from
the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in
publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers
many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

NGS
does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing
in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not
necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication
of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for
non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a
note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written
permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles
for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission
to [email protected]. All republished
articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement
found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

April 18, 2017—Boston, Massachusetts—New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is offering free access to thirty-two probate-related databases for one week—from Tuesday, April 18, through midnight (EDST) Tuesday, April 25—with registration as a free Guest Member on AmericanAncestors.org. These databases contain some of the earliest probate records of colonial Massachusetts and other New England colonies and states, as well as New York, and New Brunswick, Canada.

AmericanAncestors.org/probate provides a wide variety of information and features on the use of probate records in family history research, and brings the probate research expertise of NEHGS staff to genealogists of all levels. It is a gateway to a deeper understanding of the use of probate documents in the study of one’s family history.

Probate records can be a powerful resource for genealogists and other researchers. These papers document legal decisions that explain how an individual's estate is distributed to heirs, dependents, and creditors. Probates may list a person's spouse, children, and other relatives. They may also contain important clues to a person's financial status, by including a list of worldly possessions at the time of death. These details can reveal a lot about an ancestor's personal life in addition to being a reliable proof of identity and may provide previously unknown information about an ancestor to add to the family tree.

Using New England Probate Records, a sixty-minute webinar presented by David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist at NEHGS, is available free to all visitors to the site. The webinar offers guidance on how to get the most out of all probate records, with special emphasis on those resources available at the NEHGS library and archives and online at AmericanAncestors.org.

About American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society

New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is America’s founding genealogical organization and the most respected name in family history. Established in 1845, it is the nation’s leading resource for family history research. NEHGS provides comprehensive family history services through an expert staff, original scholarship, educational opportunities, world- class research center, and award-winning website, AmericanAncestors.org, to help family historians of all levels explore their past and understand their families’ unique place in history.

A member-based, nonprofit institution serving more than 220,000 members, NEHGS is dedicated to advancing the study of family history in America and beyond, by educating, inspiring, and connecting people through our scholarship, collections, and expertise.

NEHGS’s resources, expertise, and service are unmatched in the field and its leading staff of onsite and online genealogists includes experts in early American, Irish, English, Scottish, Italian, Atlantic and French Canadian, African American, Native American, Chinese, and Jewish research. AmericanAncestors.org, the most-used genealogical society website in the world, offers more than 1.3 billion searchable family history records spanning twenty-two countries covering the United States, the British Isles, continental Europe, and beyond. The NEHGS library and archive, located at 99-101 Newbury Street in downtown Boston, is home to the largest collection of original family history research materials in the country with more than 28 million items dating from the fourteenth century to the present, including diaries, letters, photographs, books, and microfilm.

Reminder, you will need to sign up for a free guest account to access the probate-related databases. If you already have an account, you can just sign-in and begin searching.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

17 April 2017

NGS To Live Stream Ten Genealogy Lectures During the Family History Conference in May

#NGS2017GEN

Arlington, VA, 17 April 2017 — The National Genealogical Society will live stream ten important genealogy lectures during the May 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Five lectures focus on DNA’s role in genealogical research. The other five from the BCG Skillbuilding track will center on building a family researcher’s skills and expertise. These lectures will be among more than 175 offered at the conference, 10−13 May 2017. Details about the live streaming program, plus additional conference recordings, can be found on the PlaybackNGS Website. NGS members and others across the United States and overseas, who are unable to attend the conference in person, are invited to sign up for these live streaming broadcasts.

NGS has selected some of the most popular topics and nationally recognized speakers for the two featured tracks. Registrants for live streaming can sign up for a one day or a two day pass.

·Track One: Viewers will be able to stream five lectures on “DNA” from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, 11 May 2017. These lectures will demonstrate how DNA has revolutionized genealogy problem solving, clarified contradictions in records, and found female ancestors without a known maiden name. They will also offer advice on the best practices for analyzing autosomal DNA.

·Track Two: Five “BCG Skillbuilding” lectures by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will be live streamed from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 12 May 2017. This set of lectures will teach how to probe documents beyond the obvious, find rich evidence in deeds, use an ancestors’ neighbors, prepare a Genealogical Proof Summary, and build a solid conclusion from disparate evidence.

Registration for live streaming will close at midnight, 10 May 2017, to watch the sessions in real time and as they happen. The Livestream special-value conference pricing will continue to be available for purchase until midnight, 14 May 2017, and will provide video streamed on-demand. After 14 May, the ten video sessions are available to order with the Video Passpackage on theConference Recordingspage.All registrants of packages will receive an electronic version of the NGS 2017 Family History Conference Syllabus.

Instructions for viewing the live streaming will be sent to registrants on 9 May 2017.

Track

Selection

Included

Formats

Member

Price

Non-Member

Price

Track Descriptions

One Day Pass (track one or track two)

5 Live Streaming + 3 Month Video on Demand Access

$95.00

$115.00

DNA. Five lectures on Thursday, 11 May 2017, or

BCG Skillbuilding. Five lectures on Friday, 12 May 2017.

Two Days Pass (track one and track two)

10 Live Streaming + 3 Month Video on Demand Access

$150.00

$185.00

DNA. Five lectures on Thursday, 11 May 2017, and

BCG Skillbuilding. Five lectures on Friday, 12 May 2017.

NGS has selected Playback Now to broadcast the live sessions and to provide the recorded sessions for later viewing. Conference participants can benefit by selecting different presentations while attending the conference and expanding their overall conference experience. They will have three months following the conference to view and repeat the video live streaming sessions (through 13 August 2017), and six months following the conference to stream or download audio files.

Reminder: If you are attending the 4-day event in Raleigh, online conference registration will close on 27 April 2017. Registration by mail must be postmarked by 27 April. Registration in person opens at noon on Tuesday, 9 May at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.